Hand held dispensers (caulkers) are widely used as dispensing containers for sealants, adhesives and other caulking compounds. However, dispensers that contain two viscous components which must be stored separately and then mixed immediately before use are not widely used because of the following practical problems:
(1) It is difficult to get complete mixing of the two viscous components prior to the material being dispensed. Some systems rely on mixing nozzles which depend on exact metering of the two components to the mixer. This complicates the system and can cause inadequate mixing;
(2) Current systems are messy and complicated because they often contain two or more separate pieces. For instance one system in current use relies upon a non-integrated two-piece tube (part hollow and part solid) which is used as both a rod to push the catalyst out of a catalyst containing tube and later as the dispensing nozzle. This causes a more complicated system requiring eight steps in the mixing instructions;
(3) It is difficult to get adequate mixing using hand powered means, and, therefore, one caulking system requires the use of an electric drill to generate the energy needed to satisfactorily mix the two components. Obviously, this is not only an inconvenience, but it further complicates the procedure and poses risk of injury during the mixing stage of the operation.
There is a need for a economical, simple, totally integrated hand held two-component dispenser which does not require a separate power source to assure adequate mixing. Such a caulker would allow the widespread use of two-component hand held caulkers.